US-China rare earth agreement, Xi set to miss Brics summit: SCMP's 7 highlights

South China Morning Post

5 hours ago

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP's coverage over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider
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The United States and China reached a 'framework' agreement on how to facilitate rare earth shipments, implementing a deal based on bilateral trade talks that started last month in Geneva, Switzerland, the White House said. Confirmation of the agreement came shortly after US President Donald Trump said the US had signed a trade deal with Beijing a day earlier, offering no further details.
People celebrate the ceasefire between Iran and Israel at Enghelab Square in Tehran, Iran, on June 24. The ceasefire was declared on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua
A frustrated US President Donald Trump insisted on Tuesday that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel remains 'in effect', even as he rebuked both nations for violating it. This public warning followed his earlier castigation of Iran, but particularly close US ally Israel, for launching attacks after the ceasefire, which he had originally announced late Monday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend next week's Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking his first-ever absence from the gathering of leading emerging economies, the Post learned from multiple sources on Tuesday.